David Stearns Meets the Press. The Mets Meet Reality

If you've followed my writing here on Kiner's Korner for any length of time, you know two things about me.

First, I have been a Mets fan longer than some countries have existed.

Second, I am generally one of the most optimistic Mets fans you'll ever meet.

I always see the glass as half full.

Sometimes three-quarters full.

Occasionally overflowing.

Right now, however, after listening to David Stearns' latest homestand press conference, I would describe the glass as roughly one-quarter full—and unfortunately it's one of those prank dribble glasses from Spencer Gifts, so every time I try to take a sip of optimism, it leaks all over my shirt.

And that's saying something for me.

Yet despite everything that has happened, I still believe there is a run somewhere inside this team.

The reason is simple. As badly as the Mets have played, they are still not double digits out of a Wild Card spot. In baseball terms, that's the equivalent of being down by three runs in the sixth inning. Not ideal. Not comfortable. But hardly over.

The problem is that the evidence supporting optimism has become increasingly difficult to locate even for me.

Consider the rotation.

Freddy Peralta's Mets ERA is currently higher than Aaron Heilman's career Mets ERA.

Let that sink in for a moment. Aaron Heilman for god sakes !

David Peterson followed a rough second half last season by posting an ERA north of six this year.

Kodai Senga's famous Ghost Fork has become so ghostly that it has apparently disappeared altogether, leaving behind an ERA over 10.

Meanwhile, the two best Mets starters this season—Clay Holmes and Christian Scott—are both on the injured list.

As for the offense, Luis Robert Jr. has become baseball's version of Bigfoot. The last confirmed sighting was April 26.

Jorge Polanco? He has only played five more games than Tommy Pham this season. And, believe it or not, only five more than—wait for it—Jed Lowrie, who last appeared to be collecting a paycheck for the Mets sometime between the invention of the dial up modem and streaming television.

At some point, even the most optimistic fan begins checking expiration dates on his hope.

Which brings us to David Stearns.

The Mets President of Baseball Operations faced reporters during his regular homestand media session and, to his credit, didn't pretend everything was sunshine and Citi Field Shake Shack burgers.

"We've clearly been inconsistent," Stearns said. "We've been inconsistent at various times around all segments of our team, which is why we have the record we have right now."

That's probably the most honest assessment a general manager could make.

The interesting thing about Stearns' comments is that he never sounded like a man preparing to sell at the deadline. Frustrated? Absolutely. Concerned? Without question.

Ready to wave the white flag?

Not even close.

When asked about the struggling rotation, Stearns acknowledged what everyone has been seeing.

"We also haven't gotten the level of consistent performances from most of our rotation that we expected and that our players expected coming into the season."

That's an important statement.

Because throughout the press conference, Stearns kept returning to the same theme: the Mets aren't playing up to their talent level.

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

According to Stearns, the issue isn't that the talent isn't there. I'm not entirely convinced of that.

Nor does he seem to believe the roster was fundamentally flawed. On that point, we'll have to agree to disagree.

Simply that the players aren't performing to expectations.

"We think those guys are more talented than we've seen so far this year," he said when discussing Peterson and Senga.

Maybe Stearns is right. Maybe Peterson finds it. Maybe Senga rediscovers the Ghost Fork.

But at some point, optimism has to share the room with reality. And the reality is that I have a hard time believing prospects Jonah Tong and Zach Thornton would somehow post higher ERAs if given the opportunity. At the very least, they would bring something the current rotation desperately needs: hope, excitement, and the possibility that the next five innings won't require a stress test and a prescription refill.

It also explains why Stearns isn't rushing toward dramatic solutions.

Asked whether he still believes this team can make a run, Stearns said, "We're going to continue to give this team time to prove that we can get back in this in a very legitimate sense."

Translation: The clock is ticking, but the alarm hasn't gone off yet.

The most revealing moment may have come when Stearns was asked how much time remains before decisions have to be made.

His answer?

"The cutoff is August 3rd. The cutoff is the deadline."

In other words, the Mets still have a chance to determine their own fate.

That's significant.

Had Stearns wanted to start laying groundwork for a sell-off, this was the opportunity.

Instead, he emphasized that the organization can prepare along multiple paths while continuing to evaluate the club.

Of course, some of the questions directed at Stearns reflected the growing concern surrounding roster construction.

Specifically, the Mets' apparent willingness to gamble on players with injury histories.

When asked whether acquisitions like Robert and Polanco forced the organization to rethink its process, Stearns didn't duck.

"We have to evaluate how we're assessing injury risk as it relates to the entirety of our roster."

That’s probably executive-speak for, “Yeah… this hasn’t exactly worked out the way we hoped,” which is also the polite way of saying they’d like to quietly file this under organizational miscalculations we no longer speak of in public—the kind of understatement that would make the person who confidently wrote “Dewey Defeats Truman” nod in appreciation and say, “Yes… that’s exactly the level of premature certainty we’re dealing with here.”

The injuries have been relentless.

Stearns pointed out that some of the players lost for extended periods had previously been among the most durable in baseball.

That's true.

But it's also true that availability remains baseball's most underrated skill.

The most interesting answer of the day may have involved Steve Cohen.

Stearns admitted the owner is frustrated.

"Steve wants us to certainly be better than we are. He's frustrated. We're all frustrated."

I suspect that statement required exactly zero investigative journalism.

Mets fans are frustrated.

The Cracker Jack vendor in Section 114 is frustrated.

The owner is frustrated.

The front office is frustrated.

The coaching staff is frustrated.

Somewhere, Mr. Met is probably frustrated.

Yet despite all of it, Stearns still sounds like a man who believes this team can play better baseball.

And honestly?

So do I.

Not because the evidence is overwhelming.

Not because the standings are encouraging.

Not because the rotation has inspired confidence.

Certainly not because half the roster appears to be on a first-name basis with the medical staff.

I believe it because baseball seasons are strange creatures.

Teams get hot.

Players get healthy.

Veterans suddenly remember how to hit.

Pitchers suddenly rediscover command.

And all it takes is one good month to completely change the conversation.

Stearns said, "We know we have to play better than what we've played right now and we're going to give this team a chance to do that."

That's really where we are.

The Mets are not dead.

They are not buried.

They are not sellers.

Not yet.

But they are running out of excuses.

The next few weeks will determine whether David Stearns spends July looking for reinforcements or August looking toward 2027.

As for me?

The glass remains one-quarter full.

I've seen worse.

After all, I've been a Mets fan my whole life.